Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the boycott movement against Israel as anti-Semitism in a modern guise. Blasting the initiative as an “outrage,” Netanyahu likened EU companies’ tactics to the Nazi policy of embargoing Jewish businesses.

In a heated attack on the Palestinian-led boycott movement of Israel, Netanyahu told a conference of US Jewish organizations in Jerusalem on Monday that it was time to “delegitimize the delegitimizers.”

“In the past anti-Semites boycotted Jewish businesses and today they call for the boycott of the Jewish state, and by the way, only the Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. “I think that it is important that the boycotters be exposed for what they are, they are classical anti-Semites in modern garb,” Netanyahu said.

He added that the ultimate goal of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) was the destruction of the Jewish state. The BDS is a movement sponsored by pro-Palestinian intellectuals and bloggers and is calling for a boycott on all Israeli goods as an act of protest against Israel’s policy towards Palestine.

It encourages its supporters to “target products and companies (Israeli and international) that profit from the violation of Palestinian rights, as well as Israeli sporting, cultural and academic institutions.”

Sanctions and Syria: Iran’s step forward — and back

While Iran was rewarded for limiting its nuclear enrichment program, the country’s invitation to partake in UN-led Syria peace talks was revoked.

Video Transcript

>>> the federal government said something today about iran that we don’t hear very often. they said that iran has taken, quote, concrete actions that represent an important step forward. this came after iran moved to scale back its nuclear program , and the u.s. and europe started to lift some sanctions as part of that interim agreement . we get the story tonight from nbc’s andrea mitchell .

>> reporter: the seal of approval came from u.n. weapons inspectors today. disconnecting the centrifuges producing iran ‘s high-grade 20% enriched uranium . fuel that can easily be upgraded to power a nuclear weapon .

>> everything going as planned. the 20% enrichment has been stopped.

>> reporter: iran has complied by limiting its uranium enrichment to lower levels, granting full access to u.n. inspectors diluting current uranium stockpiles. halting construction on a separate plutonium plant. within hours, europe and washington lifted some of the sanctions that have cripple iran ‘s economy, permitting some oil exports, imports of auto and airplane parts, and trade in gold and other precious metals .

>> the suspension of these sanctions will enter into force today.

>> reporter: as expected, israel’s prime minister, netanyahu, said today, iran ‘s entire program should be shut down. and now comes the hard part, a final agreement requiring iran to disclose all its nuclear secrets.

>> it’s going to have to answer basic questions about did iran work on nuclear weapons in the past, and do some of those efforts continue.

>> reporter: today’s breakthrough came 33 years to the today after the american diplomats were freed. now iran ‘s new president rouhani offers hope of a new beginning, unless rouhani is blocked by hard liners.

>> a major open question is whether president rouhani can actually implement any deal inside iran .

>> reporter: or unless the deal is blocked by its many critics in congress. what iran is cooperating on the nuclear issue, it is still arming president assad. so after intense pressure from the u.s., tonight the u.n. has withdrawn its invitation to iran to take part in peace talks this week on syria. the first talk since the war started more than two years ago. brian?

United Nations withdraws Iran invitation to save Syria peace talks

Iran was stopped from attending long-awaited Syrian peace talks last night after an extraordinary last-minute invitation almost led to the breakdown of the whole process.

By Richard Spencer in Geneva

11:50PM GMT 20 Jan 2014

The United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, had shocked the United States, its western allies and the Syrian opposition by announcing that Iran would attend the talks, starting on Wednesday.

Iran is the Syrian regime’s most important sponsor, and the move was also welcomed by Russia, which said Iran’s absence would be an “unforgivable mistake”.

But the opposition Syrian National Coalition, which had only reluctantly agreed to its western backers’ demands it attend after a vote on Saturday, immediately said it would pull out.

It gave Mr Ban until last night to withdraw the offer if Iran did not immediately promise to withdraw its forces from Syria and agree to the formation of a transitional government, as agreed in a previous round of talks in Geneva in June 2012.

When Iran refused to do so, Mr Ban was forced to backtrack. “He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva communique,” his spokesman said. “Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, he has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran’s participation.”

The Montreux part of the talks will be attended by a Syrian delegation led by the Assad regime’s foreign minister and the Coalition representing the rebels, as well as ministers from an array of states supporting either side in the conflict, including Russia, the United States and Britain.

Talks will then resume in Geneva on Friday, with direct negotiations taking place between the two Syrian sides conducted in closed-door session by the UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.

Iran, which is accused of providing military and financial backing to the Assad government, said the decision to withdraw its invitation was deplorable.

Russia‘s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who helped broker the talks with his US counterpart, John Kerry, said the UN move was a mistake. While it was not a catastrophe, it made the slim prospect of an agreement less likely, he said.

Speaking at his annual press conference in Moscow, Lavrov said Iran’s presence at the event would have given it more chance of succeeding.

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking to reporters in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, said it was regrettable that the UN general secretary had rescinded the invitation and that Tehran had only accepted it reluctantly in the first place.

“Unfortunately, Ban Ki-moon came under pressure after extending an invitation to Iran,” Zarif said, according to the semi-official Isna news agency. “We were not eager to participate in the first place and had only decided to attend because we were invited.”

On this episode of Breaking the Set, Abby Martin remarks on news that Wal-Mart workers will be expected to work on Thanksgiving, and calls attention to the arrest of over 50 associates arrested outside a LA Wal-Mart who were protesting the companies low wages. Abby then speaks with Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers Emeritus Professor and author of ‘Killing Machine’, discussing how US foreign policy is constantly moving away from diplomacy and into an age of drones and private armies. Abby then calls out the corporate media for its incessant superficial coverage of the Obamacare website, all the while ignoring both the successes and the truly legitimate criticisms of the Affordable Care Act. Abby then speaks with Arnoldo Casillas, attorney for the family of Andy Lopez, a 13 year old who was killed by Santa Rosa police while holding a toy gun. They discuss the community reaction to Andy’s death and the lawsuit to hold officers accountable for the murder. BTS wraps up the show highlighting the success of the Rolling Jubilee, a debt relief project launched by Occupy Wall Street group, Strike Debt, who over the course of one year absolved $15 million of personal debt for 2,693 people across the US.

SF transit agency, unions reach deal to end strike

By LISA LEFF and SUDHIN THANAWALA20 hours ago

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View gallery

With the BART transit system on strike, people line up along the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building to catch a ferry to Oakland, Calif., during the afternoon commute Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, in San Francisco. Frustrated bay area commuters started the work week Monday facing gridlocked roadways and long lines for buses and ferries as a major transit strike entered its fourth day, increasing pressure on negotiators to reach a deal that resumes train service. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco Bay Area’s main commuter train system and its unions reached a tentative agreement on a new contract Monday night, ending a crippling four-day strike.

Union officials announced the deal, which still requires approval from union members, then from the Bay Area Rapid Transit’s board of directors.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said limited service would begin Tuesday at 4 a.m. on all lines. BART officials hoped trains would be running at full strength in time for the afternoon commute.

BART is the nation’s fifth-largest rail system, with an average weekday ridership of 400,000.

Workers walked off the job on Friday after talks broke down. Commuters endured jammed roadways and long lines for buses and ferries, as they looked for alternate ways around the region.

The talks between BART and its two largest unions dragged on for six months— a period that saw two chaotic dayslong strikes, contentious negotiations and frazzled commuters wondering if they would wake up to find the trains running or not.

“The public expects us to resolve our differences and to keep the Bay Area moving,” BART general manager Grace Crunican said Monday night.

Crunican said there would be no immediate announcements on the details while union leaders explained the agreement to their members, but she said it was a compromise and added: “This deal is more than we wanted to pay.”

A transit strike that crippled the San Francisco Bay Area has ended, raising hopes of a swift return to normality after four days of commuting chaos.

Union leaders and managers of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) system agreed a tentative deal late on Monday; service is expected to slowly come back on line over the course of Tuesday.

The stand-off had paralysed the US’s fifth-largest commuter rail system, which has an average weekday ridership of 400,000. Gridlocked roads and long queues for buses and ferries caused widespread disruption and recrimination since Bart workers walked off the job last Friday in a dispute over pay and conditions, and both sides were under immense pressure to come to an agreement.

“This offer is more than we wanted to pay but it is a new path with our workers and it delivers the Bart of the future,” said the agency’s general manager, Grace Crunican, after emerging from negotiations on Monday.

The standoff had paralysed the US’s fifth-largest commuter rail system, which has an average weekday ridership of 400,000. Photograph: Eric Risberg/AP

Details of the deal were not immediately released, and it is still pending ratification by Bart’s board of directors and members of the Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555. The accord was brokered by a federal mediator, Greg Lim. A previous strike in July had halted services for four days.

TheTrueRae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjJ2S6… BIG BANKERS MAY EXPERIENCE A 10-100 (Need to go to Bathroom) if this is successful! IMAGINE 1,000,000 BIG RIGS ROLLIN’ INTO D.C. (that’s one million 18 wheelers) NOW IMAGINE …. 1,000,000 BIG RIGS IN D.C. and 1,000,000 CITIZENS on STRIKE with the BIG RIGS!!!! That is just MIND BLOWING!!! When the TRUCKS go on STRIKE October 11-13, 2013 they have opened the door for all American people to join in on the STRIKE! No need to go to the streets and face the wrath of police OUT OF CONTROL… SUPPORT THE TRUCKERS. NO LOUDER VOICE of OBJECTION CAN WE MAKE!!! How you can help: DON’T GO TO WORK!!!! Take a three day PARK … That’s right, JUST PARK… REFUSE TO BE THE SLAVE ANY LONGER… DO NOT SHOP, DRIVE, WORK or PLAY…. JUST PARK and watch the show!!! When the TRUCKERS REFUSE to haul freight, that means they haul NOTHING….. Including toilet paper…. OBAMA ARE YOU LISTENING… I DO HOPE YOU HAVE A STOCK of it BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE THE TRUCKS ROLL IN and you REALIZE THAT WE THE PEOPLE are STRIKING WITH THE TRUCKERS…. Well ….. Let’s just say you’ll need that paper!!

In the cocoa fields of the Ivory Coast, child slavery is ‘normal.’ It’s routine. It’s accepted.1Children as young as 7 are sold – deprived of their childhood, ripped from their families, and subjected to routine abuse –to work long, backbreaking days picking cocoa.2And it all stems from our love of chocolate.

While many chocolate brands have made public commitments to find the best solution, Warner Bros. is lagging behind:

Prop 37, the California Right to Know Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) labeling initiative, was narrowly defeated last week thanks to a relentless, deceitful $46 million advertising blitz. Among the largest bankrollers of the NO on 37 campaign were huge multinational food and beverage companies whose subsidiaries make billions selling some of your favorite organic and “natural” brands. Brands like—Kashi, Honest Tea, Naked Juice, Muir Glen, Horizon, Silk and Morningstar Farms.

It’s time to boycott the companies and brands whose dirty money confused and scared millions of California voters into voting No on Prop 37. It’s time to plaster their facebook pages with this message:

We won’t support you until you support us.

It’s time to call their consumer hotlines, complain to the store managers where you buy your organic and natural products. It’s time to tarnish their holy organic and natural images, to expose their hypocrisy and greed.

It’s time to raise a little hell. If we raise enough hell, maybe their parent companies will come to their senses and stop carrying the water for Monsanto and the biotech industry. Maybe they’ll stay neutral in the upcoming labeling battles in Washington state and Vermont.

The OCA is calling on consumers to boycott these organic and “natural” traitor brands:

Tell these companies that if they want your loyalty—and your grocery dollars±they must do two things:

1. Speak out publicly in favor of the pending GMO Labeling Ballot Initiative (I-522) in Washington State in 2013, as well as the pending GMO labeling bills coming up in Vermont and other states.

2. Contribute as much or more money to the Yes on I-522 Campaign in Washington than their parent corporations spent to defeat Prop 37 in California.

Prop 37 was narrowly defeated, by dirty money and dirty tricks. But it spawned a huge, national consumer movement that is fired up and more determined than ever to fight this battle until we win the right to know if our food has been genetically modified. We’re already collecting signatures in Washington State, talking to legislators in Vermont and Connecticut. A 30-state coalition is formulating a plan to collaborate on GMO-labeling laws and initiatives.

You are a part of this movement, and today we’re calling on you—on the millions of consumers who were outraged by the NO on 37′s dirty campaign—to send a clear message to the traitor brands who helped kill Prop 37, in the only language they understand—lost profits.

Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said ambassador Ismail Coovadia was summoned to the ministry in Jerusalem where “we made a formal protest and discussed the issue in depth.”

The South African cabinet on Wednesday directed its trade minister to issue a notice requiring that such products are marked to inform consumers that the origin is not Israel.

“This is in line with South Africa’s stance that recognises the 1948 borders delineated by the United Nations and does not recognise occupied territories beyond these borders as being part of the state of Israel,” said government spokesman Jimmy Manyi.

Israel slammed the move, with Palmor on Wednesday blasting it as “blatant discrimination based on national and political distinctions.”

“Such exclusion and discrimination bring to mind ideas of racist nature which the government of South Africa, more than any other, should have wholly rejected,” he said.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon charged the move was proof South Africa was still an apartheid state.

“South Africa’s apartheid is currently directed at Israel and miners in South Africa itself,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

“Instead of making decisions on marking Israeli products, the South African government would do better to reach brave decisions about the 34 innocent miners who merely wanted an improvement in their condition.”

South African police last week gunned down 34 miners during a wildcat strike at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine that had already left eight other workers and two policemen dead.

The Palestinian Authority on Thursday praised the decision to label settlement-made goods, and pledged to help the campaign.

Nofal said his office was familiar with the local Israeli market, and warned that if a product was purposely mislabelled, the Palestinian Authority would seek to inform the South Africans in a move which would result in “a large fine.”

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